


If You Meet Me There No One Will Know

by Write4Fun (BeesBuzzin)



Category: RWBY
Genre: Adding more tags and other info as I go, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Bees! - Freeform, College AU, F/F, Gay, Jock Yang!, Lots of sexual tension, More tropes!, Nurse! Blake, Real World/Modern, SOULMATES!, Slow Burn, Spicy Bees!, Will they wont they-that is the question, come find out - Freeform, roommates!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:22:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23266924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeesBuzzin/pseuds/Write4Fun
Summary: Blake Belladonna is a nursing student who had recently had her apartment’s lease fall through. It happened just before junior year’s start and now she’s scrambling for a place to live.Yang Xiao Long is pretty much a boxing champion, or so she says, and happens to be looking for a roommate.It seemed like the perfect solution. It was a win-win!The catch? An extremely boiling sexual tension that they pretend doesn't exist.Except, Blake just wants a place to stay, still recovering from a bad breakup. She’s not looking for a date and especially not with some jock. They aren’t her type.Yang just wants to focus on fighting and school- without any dating at all. After almost losing an arm because of an accident with her last relationship- she swore it off completely.They both make an agreement to keep their arrangement platonic. As their friendship turns complicated and lines start to blur, they realize that not everything can be controlled and struggle with what this all means.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Bumbleby - Relationship, Coco Adel/Velvet Scarlatina(mentioned)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 135





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: May be some errors until I find and edit them. Also, dont worry! I will also continue to updated my other story as well.
> 
> Just wanted this one out to and might even finish it if ya’ll want it.
> 
> BEWARE: some things may be changed in the future.

Blake never expected to find herself homeless at 21. But thanks to a sketchy landlord and a flighty best friend, that's exactly what was happening.

"What do you mean, there's a problem with our lease, Weiss?” She asked, frantically duct-taping one of the last moving boxes shut. "What happened?"

After landing a summer internship where their college was, Weiss had been tasked with finding them a place to rent for junior year. According to her, this was it: a cute, cozy 2-bedroom apartment in the college district at an affordable price. They were going to meet the landlord, sign the lease and get the keys when Blake arrived home tomorrow.

"I don't know!" she cried. "I think that insufferable landlord found other tenants willing to pay more. Since we haven't physically signed the lease yet, he threw us under the bus. I’m not exactly rolling around in money anymore!”

Weiss huffed. “Because of my poor excuse for a father,” she mumbled under her breath.

The elaborate daydreams she had cultivated over the summer about this upcoming year completely evaporated. _No, no, no_. Now it seemed like a mere pipe-dream.

They had everything planned out, from how they were going to decorate (shabby chic, with a touch of elegance for Weiss’ standards) -to rules governing hypothetical boyfriend/girlfriend visitation (2 overnights per week, maximum). Blake was so close to that sweet, sweet off-campus freedom for the first time.

"School starts in less than a week. We _really_ should’ve signed a lease before this, Weiss." The raven-haired girl groaned.

"He said that we couldn't do it until you were back," Weiss said. "Something about a paper trail if we did it electronically."

She'd neglected to mention that reasoning in our previous conversations. Bless her heart, She loved Weiss but sometimes she was a little bit sheltered in the ways of the world. Which was fair, considering how she grew up.

"Um. That sounds super sketchy.”

"I suppose. And honestly, the landlord seemed like he might have been a greasy oaf. He kept staring at my legs when he gave me the tour. That was the wrong day to wear a dress. There are probably all sorts of cameras and all that riff raft hidden all over that apartment anyway," she mused, rapidly brewing up another one of her paranoid theories.

She really _was_ sheltered.

Blake stood up, setting the tape down. There was no point in rushing to finish packing now that she had no place to unpack. "You may be right, but now I have nowhere to move into tomorrow.” She rubbed a hand across her face. “What am I going to _do_? What are _you_ going to do?"

"Well... Winter offered that I can just stay there for now. That pool house of hers is actually really nice.”

 _Wonderful_. She had a Plan B, but Blake did not.

As if she heard her thoughts, she added, "It's just an open studio. There isn't much room for two people to live here long term, but you can rest on the couch for the time being. It'll be....fun.” Weiss made a face like saying the word was physically impossible for her posh nature.

Yep, _tons_ of fun. No privacy, no personal space, and no bedroom to call her own. “Just like the dorm days...” She drawled sarcastically. An aura danced into her line of sight, a migraine lurking in the shadows. She needed to find her prescription before it hit full force.

"Thanks, Weiss. That'll help for now." She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

Surveying the empty bedroom, she racked her brain and tried to remember where she had packed her meds. Maybe they were still in her purse... wherever that was.

Sunlight filtered in through the window onto her twin-sized childhood bed and oak dresser, the scene the same as it had been for as long as she could remember. A pang of nostalgia ran through her. Visions of a giant man who gave great bear hugs and a caring woman who used to read her bedtime stories. This was, most likely, the last summer she’d spend at home. Unfortunately, now she was all packed up with no place to go.

"We’ll start looking for a new place immediately, I promise. Who knows, maybe we'll find an even better place. It'll all work out," Weiss added.

Blake could tell from the weight of her tone that she was already beating herself up over what had happened; she was the kind of person who would lose sleep for days over something like this. Over loss of control, feeling powerless, helpless. And Blake wasn't angry with her, just disappointed that their dream apartment had been snatched out from underneath them. Poof. Gone. Fineto.

"Right. I'm sure it will," Blake agreed, feigning cheer. Really, she wasn't sure-- at all. And she had five days' worth of free time to find somewhere to live before classes started.

After chasing the migraine pills with some extra-strong tea, she did sweep of the room for any items that she might have missed. All that remained was a few lonely hangers in the empty closet and the handful of moving crates in front of her.

She couldn't decide whether it was sad or freeing to know that all of her possessions fit into so few boxes. Or maybe just plain convenient, now that she most likely would be living in her car.

...

Blake’s head swam for the rest of the day as she scrambled to think of a solution. She told herself that things would work out. They had to. But she hadn't yet managed to convince herself of that fact when she sat down at the table for dinner, and it showed.

Her mother, Kali, passed over her famous lasagna, scrutinizing her face. "Blake, honey, what's wrong? Is your headache still bothering you?" One day, Blake vowed to cook as well as she did. Cooking at all would probably be a good first step.

She took a bite of garlic bread, chewing slowly to buy herself time. She didn't want to lie to her. Blake debated whether to tell her the whole truth and cause her worry over her current homeless status, or to tell a half-truth (basically lying by omission, but she chose to ignore that part).

Carefully, she answered, "Just sorting out some last-minute living arrangement details with Weiss. Moving is stressful, that's all."

A line appeared between her brows, reminding her how much her mother had aged since she left for college. She was still the same beautiful spitting image of Blake, but she wondered if living alone most of the time had been harder on her than she let on. Although she insisted she was fine and well on her own, sometimes she got the feeling that she missed her husband more than she let on.

She frowned and the worry lines deepened. "You know, I worry about you living in an apartment all by yourself. The dorms would be a much safer environment for you."

Kali pretty much raised her on her own; her father was gone a majority of the time trying to do his part in “changing the world”. Blake didn’t really care much for politics. For as long as she could remember, it seemed as if it had just always been the two of them. They were extremely close, which for the most part, was a good thing. But it also meant that she tended to be overprotective at times and Blake was itching for the additional autonomy that the dorms wouldn't provide. Things like no curfew and no restrictive rules about who could spend the night.

She didn't actually want to be irresponsible, she just wanted it to be an option.

"I won't be alone, mom, I'll be with Weiss." Kali loved Weiss; considering her family name, they really came a long way. She could say the same for herself. Her icy exterior could easily melt once you got to know her.

"I know, but you two are so young to be on your own like that," she fussed.

"You weren't much older when you had me. And I don't even have a baby to worry about. I'll be fine." At least, she would be once she sorted out where to live.

...

The drive home was long, boring, and filled with endless corn fields. Blake listened to podcasts, audiobooks, the radio and her own playlists to pass the time, but the time had still crawled by. After six long hours, she pulled up to Weiss’ sister’s Tudor-style mansion and parked over to the side, eager to be free from her metal cage.

"Blake!" Weiss greeted. Her white ponytail swaying everywhere as she strutted over to envelop her in a warm hug. "I missed you."

She returned the hug, the comfort of a good friend washing over her. "I missed you too, Weiss. Now, help me with all of these boxes so you can show me your fancy digs and tell me all about your summer."

Weiss was right: the pool house was amazing. Situated in the property's lush green backyard, it was totally decked out in luxurious finishes. Marble tile, granite counters, distressed white oak flooring. It looked like something out of a home decor magazine.

The ideal bachelorette pad-- for one. An open studio, the bedroom and living area were one and the same. It made for cramped quarters and she suspected they would be stepping over each other constantly. Luckily, neither of them snored. Actually, sometimes Weiss did- Blake never had the heart to tell her that because she, a Schnee, would be mortified- but at least it wasn't loud.

Weiss helped her carry in the boxes before heading off to her final day of internship. Blake stacked most of them off to the side near the closet; She’d only need the bare essentials until she figured out what she was doing.

Booting up Weiss’ white expensive laptop, she began to scour the internet for leads. It was late August, and pickings were going to be slim since most people had already nailed down their living arrangements by now. Until recently, she thought she was one of them.

Rentals for the two of them were a non-starter. Nearly everything was taken, and whatever was available was double what they could afford. Weiss had done some research as well, but so far they hadn't had any luck finding a place to share or a place of her own.

Blake’s other close friends were dead-ends, too. Velvet had just moved in with her girlfriend Coco, and Sun was sharing an already-cramped 3 bedroom house with 3 other guys. And Ilia barely stayed in one place long enough. She could contact a few other girls from her nursing cohort but without any real leads, she’d be grasping at straws.

Not having a place to call her own was unsettling; she was anxious to move in and unpack. Briefly, Blake considered throwing herself to the mercy of campus housing, but she wasn't sure whether she could tolerate another year of dorm food or dorm rules. Or another assigned roommate.(Her last one, Emerald, was..a bitch to put it bluntly) It was an absolute last resort scenario.

Sprawled on her makeshift couch-bed, she scanned the campus classifieds, circling 'roommate wanted' ads with her favorite purple gel pen. Since the school verified the listings to ensure that only registered students were able to place ads, this seemed like the safest way to go.

But as she had expected, she wasn't having much luck. When she contacted the few that looked passable, they had since been filled. At this rate, she was pretty sure she’d be squatting in the pool house forever. She was about to abandon the laptop in favor of some escapist reality TV when she noticed a newer ad at the bottom of the page.

_-Room for rent in 2BR loft-style condo. Private bathroom. Spacious, chill, and clean. Located in a great area within walking distance to Beacon College. Mature college student desired-_

It sounded perfect, so it was probably filled already like the others. Still, it was worth a try. Blake texted the number listed in the ad.

_ >Hey, I'd like to come check out the room for rent. Is it still available? If so, let me know what time works for you. - Blake_

Blake held her breath, waiting impatiently for a reply. This, or the dorms. Staring at her phone didn't prove to be helping, so she decided to make a cup of tea for distraction. As she was filling up the teakettle in Weiss’ kitchen, her phone chimed. Blake dashed back into the living room, bracing herself for certain disappointment.

_> Yep! Still available. Rent is $500/mo. 2550 Vale Lane, unit 605. 7pm tonight?_

“Yes!” Blake cheered to herself.

$500 a month for her own space and her own bathroom would be a bargain. There had to be some kind of catch; another case of too good to be true, likely. The place was probably infested with ants or something. But at this point, it was worth a shot. What did she have to lose?


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~~ = POV change

The glass and steel exterior of a stunning, modern low-rise apartment building glinted before her in the dwindling evening sunlight.

It was just before 7pm and Blake was parked on the street, certain that she had to be mistaken.  
This can't be right, can it? Doing a double-take, she checked the address again: 2550 Vale Lane.

This was the building that she and Weiss drove by on their way to yoga. They’ve always fantasized about living in it, but the units for rent were owned privately and were always way beyond their price range.Based on the building, she knew the place itself was sure to be livable. Well, more than livable, given that this was a luxury apartment complex.

Only one question mark remained: the roommate.

After living in the dorms for two years, Blake was no stranger to bad roommates; She and Weiss met when they were grouped in a 4-girl dorm room freshman year, which included Emerald who stole her clothes, wore them in front of her, and then lied about it to her face. It was a full-on scandal in Blake’s eyes, that bitch stole her stuff and the school had refused to do anything about it.  
At least in this scenario, Blake was the one in control over who she lived with, rather than the faceless, bureaucratic campus housing authority.

She coasted down the entry ram and circled the underground parkade, straining to see in the dim light as she tried to locate a vacant spot. Most of the stalls were numbered to correspond with their respective condo units and the ones that weren't numbered were already occupied. She hated these parking structures; they always made her feel claustrophobic. The sooner she could park and get upstairs, the better.

As Blake rounded the corner, a lone empty stall appeared up ahead on the right. She had just turned her signal light on when a shiny, yellow new-model motorcycle approached from the other direction, quickly swooping in and taking the spot before she could even blink. She beeped her horn at the driver, who just stuck her hand out and waved with a grin.

 _Asshole_.  
  
The girl parked and hopped off the bike, jogging away. Blake had to admit, she was an attractive asshole. Athletically slim build, a long mane of golden hair and she seemed a bit taller than Blake herself; Blake was a sucker for height difference and a nice smile.

She also secretly had a thing for blondes. And no, Sun did not count. He was more like a brother to her.

Too bad _this_ blonde just screwed her over for that parking spot, making her late for her meeting. Blake hoped that her lateness wouldn't reflect poorly on her to the potential roommate. If this fell through, she was out of options. 

~~~~

  
The condo doorbell chimed a few minutes past 7, letting her know that Blake guy who texted about the ad had arrived. Punctuality wasn't his strong suit, she noted.

One strike against him already. She’s received a few inquiries about her sister, Ruby’s old room for rent but so far, she hadn't found anyone she was willing to live with. She was in no hurry. Technically, she didn't need anyone to help her carry the costs of the mortgage, so she could afford to be picky. And she needed to be picky, after what happened with her last roommate, Mercury, who was a dick.

She walked to the door, took a deep breath, and prayed.  
_Please don't be a weird, balding middle-aged perv or an axe-murderer or something._

While she may have technically been taking college courses, this girl wasn't exactly what she had in mind when she specified 'college student' in the ad. On the other side of the door, she found just the opposite; there was a beautiful, curvy, raven-haired girl standing before her, wearing ripped jeans and a tight black t-shirt.  
The same girl whose spot she robbed her of in the basement parkade. 

What the hell?

Momentarily taken aback, she scrambled for something to say. "..You?"

"You!" She narrowed her cat-like amber eyes. (She was sure they couldn't possibly get any more narrow) 

"Are you here because I stole your parking spot?" She asked with a sheepish grin emerging across her face.

"No, I'm here about the roommate ad." The amber-eyed girl looked at her like she was losing her mind. "But why do that, anyway? Don't you have your own reserved spot?"

Well, now she just felt like a bitch.

The blonde shrugged. She didn't really have an excuse. She was running late and in a hurry. It was closer to the elevator than her unit's assigned stall.

"Hah..yeah,” She laughed nervously. “Sorry about that. I thought I was gonna be late for this meeting. “You Blake?"

If so, she was the cutest 'Blake' she’d ever met. 

She nodded. "Yes. Blake Belladonna."

"I’m Yang. So you're here... about the room for rent ad?" The blonde asked, still unsure of what was going on. 

Blake nodded again, giving her a funny look. "Yep." 

_Was Nora playing some kind of weird practical joke on me?_ She thought.

It wouldn't be the first time, and something like this was her style. Just like the time she wrote many obscene and inappropriate words and doodles on her face with permanent marker while Yang napped before one of the biggest fights of the year.   
She actually thought it was funny; the crowd thought it was hilarious. 

She clarified, "You wanna live... here?" 

"What is this, twenty questions?" Blake laughed, adding sassily, "Are you going to let me in, or...?"

She wasn't sure what was going on, but decided to roll with it and gave her a tour. 

They started with the two bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs and ended on the main level with the kitchen, living room, and office. "It’s nice." She gave it the once-over with an approving nod. "A real industrial vibe."  
"Thanks." Yang was proud of that because she picked out the countertops and stainless steel cabinets when she bought the unit pre-construction. She couldn't decorate worth a damn(thank God for Ruby) but she thought she had done a good job with the bones of the place.

"It's pretty big, huh?" Blake was clearly referring to the condo but she was sorely tempted to make a crude joke about size. She refrained, silently congratulating herself for exercising such powerful restraint. She didn't want to seem too forward or make her uncomfortable, even if the blonde thought the joke was pretty clever.

"It's a good size. About 1200 square feet." They walked back into the great room, lingering as neither of them quite knew what to do next. "Hey, do you want something to drink? We can chat for a minute."

She shrugged. "Sure, sounds good." 

Yang sat down beside her on the charcoal sectional in the living room, opening two cans of sparkling water and handing her one. Blake extended a soft, flawless hand to accept it. The advantage of not being a fighter. No callouses or scars.

"Sparkling water, huh? I would have pegged you for a beer girl."

"Sometimes. But I keep a pretty strict diet for my training, especially considering my trainer is my uncle." She explained.  
Blake nodded vaguely, like she didn't know what she was referring to but didn't want to admit it.

"So... Blake. I have to admit, I was sorta expecting a guy, not that I’m complaining. What's the story behind your name?" 

"Technically, it is considered unisex." Blake gave her a wry smile. "My mom is a big feminist. She thought it would give me a leg up when submitting resumes in the workforce. Something about studies showing that women were less likely to receive job interviews. Oh, and it also means black. You know, like my soul.”

Weird reason, but she couldn't say that without offending her. So the blonde just nodded. "Huh. I guess that makes sense."

Hell, she could’ve been joking but Blake had such a good poker face that she couldn't even tell.

"Except, I decided to become a nurse instead of a writer- Which is pretty much the most female-dominated field there is anyway." 

"You're a nurse?"

_Fuck. Really Yang? That's what she just said! The whole nurse thing was actually kind of sexy. Wait, sexy is bad. Sexy isn't for roommates. Stop it. Bad Yang._

"I'm double majoring, actually, and my other major is psychology. It's just a few extra courses," she said. "What about you?" 

Well, that explained why she hadn't seen her before. The nursing and social sciences buildings were located on the opposite side of campus from her building’.

_A double major was impressive though; she seemed smart. Another turn on. Shit._

"Management with a major in Engineering."

She nodded thoughtfully, looking her over. "Yeah, you seem like the type."

Yang placed a hand on her chest and pretended to be offended. "And what's that supposed to mean?” 

"Oh, nothing bad. You just have a nice place, well-dressed and just give off that vibe, it fits. That's all," she said.

_Did she just call me well-dressed?_ She made a mental note that the new distressed skinny jeans she was wearing were a hit.  
Then she kicked herself for even caring.

She wasn't here to hit on her, she was here to find someone to live with. "I box too. Pretty much anything that involves me hitting people," She added casually

As captain of the boxing team at a small, sports-oriented college, most people around campus knew who Yang was; but putting it out there herself was easier than making her admit that. 

"Oh. Cool." She nodded approvingly, her expression neutral. That was the biggest non-reaction reaction she had ever seen. Either she was a convincing actress, or she genuinely had no idea who she was.   
Really? Maybe she traveled in smaller circles than she thought, but most people she encountered were at least somewhat familiar with the sports teams. And her. 

"So... is the room still available or are you opposed to living with nurses? Or would you have preferred a boy? That’d be easier, right?”

_Was she implying that I couldn't handle living with a girl?_

She was a bit feisty, it seemed. Yang liked that. It could keep things interesting.

"I've had a female roommate before and it was fine. It's not a big deal. I just tend to get along better with guys. It won't be weird unless we make it weird.” She shrugged, trying to give off the vibe of a modern, mature adult. “Not playing for that team is good douche-repellant, if you know what I mean.”

Yang watched as a flash of understanding flashed in Blake’s eyes.

She wondered why she was trying so hard to impress Blake. It seemed backwards- a potential roommate should be the one trying to impress her-but she couldn't help herself.

"Exactly," Blake said after a while. "And we won't make it weird."

She left after they finished their drinks and said they’d be in touch to figure things out.  
Yang enjoyed meeting her-- maybe a little too much so. Briefly, she wondered whether living with her would a mistake. 

After being purposely single for 9 months and counting, life was easy- simple- and she had no desire to mess with that. Her policy was no hooking up, no dates, no drama, and no heartbreak. She had things under control again; she was killing it in the ring and consistently making the Dean's List. It was a little boring, and even lonely at times, but still preferable to an emotional rollercoaster. She knew that from experience. She couldn't handle a repeat of what happened last year.

So Yang weighed her options: take her chances living with Blake, or remain in her self-imposed solitude. Coming home to an empty condo was downright depressing some days, and a roommate could solve that without the complications of a relationship. The girl was good looking, but so were lots of the girls she’d turned down over the past few months; there was no reason this had to be any different

They could simply be two mature, platonic roommates.


	3. Chapter 3

" _Yang Xiao Long_?" The words were muffled by whatever he was doing. Ruffling and movement was heard through the phone. He added in apparent disbelief, " _You're thinking of living with Yang Xiao-fucking-Long?_ ”

He was on speaker as Blake sat next to Weiss, who was just as surprised as he was. Blake and Sun had decided to catch up and that turned into a phone call. He made sure to tell her his highly exaggerated stories about his roommates and their adventures. Then, it was Blake’s turn to catch _him_ up. Blake’s situation seemed to take the cake.

Meanwhile, she and Weiss were eating Chinese takeout and lounging on the couch ( _aka, Blake’s bed_ ). She scooped another bite of chow mein with her chopsticks and took a bite, nodding, verifying her answer to Weiss. The snow-haired girl just gaped at her, lost for words, as she chewed.

“Probably.” Blake answered Sun, remembering that he can’t exactly see her nodding.

The next sound that came through the phone was a comically, drawn-out gasp, followed by muffled voices in the background.

“ _Crap. Neptune is rushing me. I gotta go, but you better tell me everything next time! See ya, guys._ ” Sun said as he hung up.

Blake didn't understand what the big deal was. Finding a feasible option for her living arrangements had been a huge relief. She’d expected Weiss to be relieved, too; it would be better for both of them if she could move and get settled before classes started. Coexisting in a 400 square foot box- however luxurious it may be- would get old, fast.

Weiss turned to look at her. “You really _are_ living with her?”

"Yeah, so? She seems normal enough and the price is right. It's a really nice place, too."

To be fair, her condo was gorgeous. Floor to ceiling windows, hardwood flooring, a private ensuite attached to each bedroom. It even had a hot tub on the patio, which Blake hadn't known was possible in a condo. Yang said something about it being permitted because she had the penthouse.

She could be living in a _penthouse_!

If she was being honest, Yang was gorgeous too. But she told herself that feelings didn't factor into her decision. And she definitely didn't admit that part to Weiss. Plus, as much as she loved her, Blake was nearly giddy at the thought of having her own personal space again. A quiet place to read...A bedroom with an actual door and her own bathroom, where she didn't have to fight for counter space with enough cosmetics to stock a Sephora.

"Are you sure.. that this isn't some odd rebound reflex? Since..you know...” Weiss questioned as gently as possible, most likely bracing herself.

_Was it?_ It hasn't really occurred to her. Her attempts to forget about Adam must have been working, at least a little. A summer away had certainly helped.

"No. It has nothing to do with that. Or him," She stated firmly. "At this point, it's just my best option. What's the big deal?"

Weiss ripped open a packet of soy sauce, rolling her eyes as she doused her rice with it. "Come on, Blake. Do you not read _The Beacon Letter_?"

_The Beacon what now?_ "Uh, sure..." Blake said noncommittally, averting her eyes to her takeout container to hide the fact that she had no idea what the hell she was talking about.

"You know, the gossip site about our school's athletes and all of their scandals and such?" Weiss explained slowly, looking at her like she was some kind of alien. She continued, waving her chopsticks for dramatic effect, "Who's sleeping with who, who's failing their classes, who's up to possibly illegal activities... I mean, _allegedly_."

"Can't say I have," Blake admitted. As someone who studies business and communications, things like that were more in her wheelhouse. Weiss did enjoy good gossip at times.

"Well, you should," she admonished, adding, "If you did, you would know that Yang is practically untouchable. In addition to being very visually appealing, as everyone says, she's the captain of the school’s pro-fighting group. You know, the people that basically punch each other in the face to get better at punching _other_ people in the face? And she’s basically a boxing champ representing Beacon.”

_Ah_. Thinking back, Blake had thought she looked a little bit familiar. She wasn't one to follow sports, but she had probably seen her before in some kind of campus publication. There were always ads plastered around campus promoting their sports teams, trying to encourage school spirit amongst the student body; often, they featured pictures of the more prominent athletes. At Beacon U, boxing, among other things, and sports in general were a _Really Big Deal_. Most other schools don’t have a boxing team or hockey team, et cetera, et cetera, like theirs did. 

Beacon might be a bit unorthodox but that’s what made it special.

But as Dean Ozpin said at orientation, _“Beacon is a special school. You’ve come here in search of knowledge- to hone your craft and acquire new skills. When you’ve finished, you plan to dedicate your life to use your talents and achieve greatness. But as I look amongst you, all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose - direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It’s up to you to take the first step.”_

It was a good speech that she probably wouldn't forget. It was inspiring to Blake, just like the school’s motto:

_Keep Moving Forward._

They had luxuries that other schools did not, the bar was set pretty high so Beacon ended up snatching up loads of students from other schools who were all “special” in their own way; those who were athletically gifted, an academic genius in a certain subject, or those who were very good in their field of study- ones who were bound to get the best careers handed to them post-graduation.

Many of the athletic graduates went on to be drafted by the NHL, the NFL, the NBA, UFC, MLB, and the WBA; the World Boxing Association, which will probably snatch Yang right up as soon as she graduates.

Knowing their school, Yang probably had her own billboard somewhere on the quad. No wonder she'd expected Blake to know who she was. She just thought that she was just stuck on herself- you know, _bragging rights_.

"Okay. So, she's good looking and she's an athlete. Still not getting what the big deal is over her. Athletes really aren't my type," Blake reminded her. "They don't exactly have the best reputations when it comes to dating, either."

If anything, the whole confident athlete persona was a turn-off for her. Girls can be as much as a player as a guy can. No one is safe. In addition to their womanizing and/or heartbreaker reputations, athletes always seemed to have a big ego thing going on that rubbed her the wrong way.

_Arrogant cheaters? Self-assured players? I’ll pass._ Blake thought to herself. _Been there, done that already with my ex._

And it didn't end well. It was an ugly disaster.

Weiss spoke again, "No, I think she’s different. She’s surrounded by groupies constantly, but she never hooks up with anyone. That's unheard of for a varsity athlete at her level. I mean, several of the others have significant others and even half of them _still_ hook up, but she doesn't. She is an anomaly. It's fascinating."

Blake shrugged.

She had nothing against other people hooking up but she also didn't see why that had to be considered the norm.

"I don't see what's so crazy about that. I don't really like casual sex either." If anything, this sounded like a roommate selling point; then she knew Yang wouldn't hit on her and wouldn't be bringing a rotating parade of girls home all the time.

"Yes, but you're not a charismatic, young, attractive athlete constantly surrounded by _many_ , willing girls who are basically foaming at the mouth. Guys too.”

Weiss paused, furrowing her white brow in thought. "I think she had a girlfriend once. Some say she's dabbling in celibacy. Others claim she's just extremely, _extremely_ picky and that no woman has ever lived up to her expectations."

Well, that made her sound like a potential pain in the ass. Blake didn't want a control freak for a roommate. But as long as she wasn't as picky about roommates as she was about hookups, she figured they could probably make it work.

Plus, she seemed pretty easygoing when they met.

"It's looking like it’s this or the dorms for me, at this point. I think I'm gonna take my chances and try it out," Blake stated. "Worst case scenario, I move back in with you. My couch-bed will always be here, right?"

________

** Text Message, 6:03pm: **

Blake: _Hey Yang, I had a few questions about the whole roommate thing._

Yang: _Shoot._

Blake: _Well, without being assumptive, it doesn't seem like you need a roommate to afford the place. So... why have one?_

Yang: _Between classes and sports, I'm not home much, honestly, but it's nice to have someone around when I am. Especially since my baby sister moved out._

Blake: _Fair. But you did say you get along better with guys so why not live with one of your guy friends? Or someone from one of your teams? Athlete solidarity or something._

Yang: _Oh, they share a big house off-campus. It's party central. I need peace and quiet so I can study and focus on, ya know, athletic overachievement._

Blake: _Right. Me too._

Blake: _I mean, I need to focus on my classes. Studying. Not that last part._

Yang: _Lol yeah, I figured as much._

Blake: _And what's your policy on exotic pets? Specifically, King Cobras? Say... 4 of them?_

Yang: _I beg your pardon?_

Blake: _I’m kidding._

Blake: _Last question- you aren’t a serial killer, right? Because that might be a deal-breaker for me._

Yang: _Only on the weekends._

Blake: _That’s unfortunate. But for a serial killer, admit it, I had you with the deadly snake thing._

Yang: .. _When do you wanna move in?_

Blake: _How does Thursday sound?_


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess who’s moving in?

Wedging the stack of boxes she was holding between her thigh and the wall, Blake fumbled around to unlock the door to Yang’s condo using the code she texted. The lock slid open and she shoved the door open with her hip, the boxes dangerously close to tumbling. Yang must have heard the commotion because she appeared and opened the door all the way, saving the cargo just as it started to fall. 

Yang was wearing a plain fitted yellow t-shirt and _extremely_ short shorts, and somehow still looked hot. It was really unfair that she looked so good in what basically amounted to gym clothes. Then again, with a body like hers, almost anything would look good. 

Blake tried not to ogle her... with limited success. It didn't help that she was even better looking than she’d remembered from their first meeting. Whatever was trapped inside those lilac eyes was mesmerizing. She reminded myself what she had told Weiss earlier: _athletes weren't her type._

"Why didn't you text?" The blonde scolded her, surveying the boxes she deposited in the hall. "I could’ve came down to help."

Blake shrugged, still breathless from dragging up the boxes from her car, to the elevator, and then down the hall. It hadn't occurred to her to ask. "I don't know. I didn't have much to bring up."

"You know, you’re just proving that stereotype true, about medical-fielders never wanting help with anything." she sighed, biceps bulging against her sleeves as she carried the crates in. I mean, not that she was looking or anything. "Now I feel bad that I was sitting here on my ass while you were carrying up all of these boxes. Just let me help. I'll bring in the rest."

Yang Xiao Long, not a _complete_ asshole? Who knew? At any rate, Blake wasn't turning down the help. After moving out of her mother's and then staying at Weiss’ temporarily before relocating here, she was sick of dragging these stupid boxes around. She was developing a bit of a cube phobia at this point. 

As she waited, she surveyed the condo again and a small thrill ran through her body. She couldn't believe she would be living here. It was, by far, the nicest place she had ever lived in. The living room had a view of the water and there was a round, oversized armchair in the corner; the perfect space to curl up with a good book and a mug of tea. 

Yang brought the final box upstairs and put it in Blake’s new bedroom. "Is that all of it?" she called from the loft balcony that overlooked the living room. 

"For now. I still need to go and buy some actual furniture. I don't exactly have a bed or a dresser yet... Or even a lamp," Blake explained, slightly embarrassed. She didn't need much before, living in the dorms. She’d only brought about 5 or 6 boxes with her; mostly clothes and small personal items. 

Yang checked her phone quickly as she came back downstairs. "It's only 2:30. Wanna go now? I can drive; along with a bike, I have a truck that will fit everything. And then I can help you with getting all of the big stuff upstairs."

Blake smirked. "Oh, I’m aware you have a bike. I remember it clearly from when you waltzed in and stole my parking space."

"You're never going to let me live that one down, are you?" She laughed. She had the most charming dimple in her left cheek that she hadn't noticed before. She needed to stop noticing these things, actually. Brains should come with some kind of mute button for details better left ignored. 

"I highly doubt it. But as for the furniture, don't feel obligated. I can find someone else to go with me if you have other things to do."

As nice as it would be to get to know her better, she also didn't want to impose. Especially if she felt like she had to help; Blake hated asking people for help. 

"Nah, it's fine," Yang insisted, waving her off. "I have practice at 6pm tonight. I can help you put it all together after that."

Inwardly, Blake rolled her eyes. _Oh god, the ego on this one._

Did she think she was completely useless? How did she think Blake functioned prior to meeting her? 

"Believe it or not, those of us who _don’t_ play sports can still handle themselves. I'll be fine," She assured her. 

A look of disbelief flashed across her face briefly before she smiled and nodded. "Right," she said, clearly unconvinced.

They headed down to the parking lot. As Yang walked around to the driver's side of the truck, Blake caught herself shamelessly checking out her ass. She couldn't help herself, it was so muscular and... firm. She just wanted to touch it. 

And then, even her truck smelled good, like her; vanilla perfume mixed with citrus. Heaven help her, Blake was trying to keep her cool. She took a deep, calming breath and busied herself with looking out the window so she didn't stare at her.

"You asked me, but I never asked you: why did _you_ need a roommate on such short notice?" Yang asked as she pulled out of the parking garage and signaled right to turn onto the street. "Did you break up with your boyfriend or something?"

 _Is she fishing to see if I have a boyfriend?_ Blake thought.

"No... My best friend and I were supposed to share a place this year, but it fell through at the last minute," She explained. 

"She bailed on you?" The blonde asked. "That’s tough."

"The awful landlord did," She corrected. "Weiss had a backup place to live and I didn't, so it was this, or beg campus housing to accommodate me in the dorms. Who knows what I'd have ended up with then."

Yang turned to her briefly, smiling wide, putting pristine white teeth on display.

"Well, Blake, I can _assure_ you, you will have a better time with me as a roomie than you would being stuck with someone who _isn't_ me in the dorms."

Yeah. That's what she was afraid of. 

~~~

Yang returned home at 9pm, fully expecting to find the condo in a disarray of boxes, furniture parts and screws. Blake had said something about being able to assemble it all, but she was skeptical. 

She knocked on her door and found her laying on her new bed, watching something on the TV that she had mounted on the wall herself. A new desk and chair were situated along the adjacent wall, along with a small bookshelf.

Blake had already assembled all of the furniture and taken the boxes down to the basement for recycling. She'd even hung pictures— which, when Yang first moved in, had taken her longer than she cared to admit. She was impressed.

_Small girl, big spirit. Noted._

"Looks great in here," The blonde said approvingly. The furniture was all dark, and the room had an airy, studious vibe. Blake had a great eye for decorating, at least compared to Yang’s.

She added, "Hey, before I forget: I'm having a small party tomorrow for my friend Jaune’s birthday." 

Blake raised one of her perfect eyebrows. "A 'small' party? Elaborate. On a scale from 'little get together' to 'mile-long path of unconscious drunks', where would this party fall?"

Yang chuckled, shrugging. "Somewhere in the middle? I think? Contrary to popular belief, I don't have parties every weekend or anything like that, if that's what you're worried about. But this is his 21st so it's kind of this big thing. He's the last one to finally be legal. Obviously, you're welcome to come and invite a few friends if you want to.”

The raven-haired girl looked at the ceiling and scrunched up her face, thinking for a brief moment. Yang waited for her response and realized she was holding her breath, hoping she would say yes.

"Alright. I'll think about it."

_‘She’ll think about it?’_

Most people she knew were falling all over themselves to get an invitation to their parties. She had witnessed honest-to-god physical altercations break out over it. But Blake seemed genuinely indifferent to the idea. That was new.

"Okay, cool. Normally, I'd give you more of a heads up before doing something like this. This was just something I've had planned for awhile now," Yang told her apologetically.

She smiled. "It’s fine."

Yang headed downstairs to make some food, wondering what the hell had just happened. She wasn't sure why she felt so compelled to keep talking and to keep explaining herself to her. After all, this was _her_ place, and this party had been in the works for weeks. 

She realized that she wanted to make a good impression on her. This was a slippery slope. A double-edged sword or what have you.

She had to remember to keep her eyes on the prize: this year was going to be all hard work, education and athletic-wise _only_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See you next time, and bring your party hats.


	5. Chapter 5

Blake had a feeling that Yang expected her to jump at her invitation to join their party -- so she made a point not to. Of course she _wanted_ to go, but she didn't want her new roommate to think she had the hots for her, or something. 

Even if, well, she kind of did. 

She knew it was just a superficial attraction; she couldn't see herself actually liking a big-deal athlete on any sort of deeper, emotional level.

Maybe she would have some cute friends at the party to distract her. Friends that weren't athletes. Friends that she didn't live with.   
A friend of her roommate would at least be a slightly more appropriate choice than her _actual_ roommate. 

After she left her room, Blake called Weiss to tell her about the party and to ask her to come with her. 

"Hey, Blake. You're just on Bluetooth in my car in case this sounds weird or I lose you. All settled in?" 

"Just about," She sighed. "It's been a long day but I'm nearly done unpacking. Now that my furniture is assembled, I just have to fold and put away all my clothes."

"Ugh, sorry about all of that. I feel _horrible_ about the apartment," she said in a sad little voice. Her guilt was palpable; Blake was pretty sure she was more upset about the whole debacle than she was. 

"Don't worry about it, Weiss. Everything seems to have worked out okay. Not that I won't miss you, of course," She reassured her as she sorted through a pile of sweaters. 

"I miss you, too. We still have to do sleepovers on the regular."

"Definitely," She replied. "So... What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"I’ll be with Bolin. Dinner and then some back to school party with his finance-bros, I think. Why, what's going on tomorrow? Want to come to the party with me?"

"Oh, it's just that Yang is having a party _here_. I thought you could come if you weren't too busy. I think it's someone's birthday. John?"

" _Jaune_?" Weiss implored. 

"Yeah, that's it. But if you have plans, it's okay."

She paused, but she got the sense that her mind was already made up. 

"You know what, I can reschedule Mr. Bolin Hori."

"Really? You don't have to, Weiss. It's not a big deal. I could find something else to do tomorrow night," She told her. "I just feel kind of weird being there without any friends of my own."

”No it’ll be fine, and it’ll be a good icebreaker for you and your new roommate.”

”Won’t Bolin be upset?”

He was a finance major who was chasing Weiss for a while now. In spite of her attitude, she was pretty sure he wouldn't take being ditched so lightly.

”No,” she said. ”He’ll live.”

___

Blake taught two hot yoga classes at the studio the following morning. Afterward, Weiss dragged her to the mall and held her hostage there until they found what she deemed the 'perfect' outfits. 

_Perfect_ seemed to be a moving target, unfortunately, and this consumed most of their afternoon. 

"How about this one?" Blake asked, holding up a pale purple tank top with a ruffled hem. 

Weiss wrinkled her nose. "Too matronly."

Matronly? It had a plunging v-neck that would most assuredly show an ample amount of cleavage. If _this_ was matronly, she was a little worried about what kind of look they were aiming for tonight. 

"This?" She held up a black spaghetti strap sundress that hit mid-calf. It was lightweight and silky, and she thought it was pretty. 

"Perfect. If you're a _nun_ out on the town."

"What exactly are we looking for?" 

"I can't explain it. But I'll know it when I see it," Weiss said confidently. 

The heiress flipped through the clothing racks, examining each item with a determined, critical eye.

"This looks like it came straight out of Whoville. And this one looks 90s, but in a bad way. And _this_ \-- just, why?" she shook her head in disgust at an offending shirt that was unworthy of further criticism. 

Blake should have packed snacks. She had the feeling they’d be here awhile. And if Weiss got hangry, they would really be in trouble. 

"Ah, here it is." Weiss said, handing her a white crop top. "This would be perfect."

Blake didn't really know about this one...

"How about something in the middle?" She suggested, holding up a flowy black tank top. "This is cute."

"Ooh, I _like_ that. Okay, you go try that on. We still have to find something for me."

She was wondering whether they would even finish shopping in time for the party, at this rate. 

After a few more hours, they finally left armed with clothes that she _hoped were_ on the classy side of sexy rather than the skanky side... but honestly, that was debatable.

___  
  


By the time they returned to the condo, a few of Yang’s teammates and friends were already over watching TV in the living room. My god, were _all_ of her friends hot? How was that even statistically possible?

They did some quick introductions with a few of them. She particularly liked Nora, Pyrrha, Jaune, Velvet, Coco and Ren. Those were what she could remember considering that she knew she was bound to forget most because she was terrible with names. Then, she ushered Weiss upstairs to her room so that they could get changed.

Since it was her goal to work in television broadcasting and business, Weiss fancied herself an amateur makeup artist. She insisted on doing her makeup for the party, claiming it was a special occasion. After Blake straightened her hair, Weiss went to work giving her dark, smoked out eyes, which was said brought out the amber of her irises more.

"There. Perfect," she said, carefully applying the final strip of lashes to her left eye. 

"Are you _sure_ this isn't too much?" Blake asked her, using her phone's camera to check the makeup from the side. 

As someone who primarily worked in hospitals, Blake wasn't accustomed to wearing so much makeup and she felt a little self conscious wearing the whole nine yards. It _did_ look nice but it was awfully... sultry. Especially combined with the gauzy black tank top and tight jeans she had helped her pick out.

"You look amazing," she said with a smile. "Truly." 

"Psh," Blake replied, laughing. "You're just saying that because it's your handiwork. Plus, everyone knows you're the pretty one." 

It was true. She was like a model with long, to-die-for natural white hair and piercing ice-blue eyes. It was actually kind of ridiculous how much she didn't even notice. One time, Blake saw a guy try to rustle up the courage to talk to her, of course, Weiss didn't even notice him. 

"No, you have the whole 'mysterious brunette' thing going on. It works Blake," she said as they walked out of the bedroom.

~~~

Blake walked down the stairs looking like something out of a magazine. Yang’s breath caught at the sight of her. Her silky black hair fell around her breasts, which were nicely on display in a low-cut black tank top; and honestly it took all of her willpower not to stare. Which she failed at, but at least she _tried_.

_Fuck._

Maybe this _did_ have the potential to get a little weird after all.

Oh, and her friend Weiss might have been with her too. She couldn't really say for certain-- she was too busy staring at Blake.

Jaune had entered while they were getting ready. He gave them a polite grin and a handshake. "Hey, I’m the birthday boy. Nice to meet you!”

Weiss returned the polite smile while Blake shook his hand.

Then Cardin arrived.

Cardin was a manwhore; Yang could already tell where _this_ would head. He had once tried to hit on her before she shut that down.

Looking both girls up and down he said, “Are you sure it isn't _my_ birthday?” 

Yang rolled her eyes. "Don't make me punch you in the throat during Jaune’s party," She warned him. Turning to Blake and Weiss, she said, "There's beer in the cooler out on the patio, harder stuff’s in the kitchen. Help yourselves.”

"Beer, Weiss?" Blake asked. Weiss nodded, while Cardin still made eyes at her. The two of them headed outside to the patio, slamming the door behind them. Cardin, among some other guys watched them as they made their exit.

Yang used their absence as an opportunity to quickly lay down a few ground rules with them. They were more in the team category more than they were her friends. She still knew how they acted though.

Looking at the group in front of her- Cardin, Dove, Russel and Sky- She said sternly, "Now, before they're back, a few reminders: Blake is off limits. I don't need any drama coming into my home life. As for her friend, I don't care as long as you aren't an asshole to her. You won’t be pulling the same shit you tried to pull on me. Okay?”

"Off limits to everybody, or just everyone except you?" Cardin said with a smirk. The rest of the guys laughed, mumbling something about her being a cockblock. She shot them a look and they quieted.

Nora, Pyrrha, Coco and Velvet sat on the sidelines laughing as they witnessed it all.

Throwing an arm around the birthday boy, Nora smiled wide. “Yeah, why can’t all guys be as nice as Jauney-Boy here?” She then kissed Ren on his cheek. “Or as sweet as my _man_?”

Jaune only sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “Thanks?”

Yang glared back at Cardin and hissed, "Throat. Punch." as Weiss and Blake walked back in.

~~~

Blake lined up, aimed, and fired. The ping pong ball plopped into the red solo cup with a fizzy noise.

"Nice." said Ren, giving her a high five. 

“Hah!” Nora exclaimed. “I’m queen of the castle, I’m queen of the castle!”

They’d been playing as a team and so far, they were unstoppable. Five other teams had challenged them and failed. They were singlehandedly getting the rest of the party trashed.

It was 12 o'clock and the party was in full throttle. Blake had been nervous about meeting so many new people, but Yang’s friends had been great so far. Well, a few of them actually seemed afraid to talk to her; and she thinks some of them may have been hitting on her too. But they had all been nice enough, nonetheless. 

Ren was probably her favorite out of the guys because he and his girlfriend had been friendly, and he was pretty quiet, he reminded Blake of herself. Wasn't her type anyway, but they would definitely be fast friends. Apparently, he was also a stoner and liked to meditate so he was pretty chill.

The doorbell rang, followed by some commotion at the front door. Pyrrha came over to them, looking uneasy. 

"Nora," said Pyrrha tersely. She could swear she had turned two shades paler. " _Arslan_ is here."

_Arslan? Who's Arslan?_

She was pretty sure Yang didn't have a girlfriend. And if she did have a girlfriend, she would hope for a better reception than _that_.

Nora made a face and groaned, "Shit. Who invited her?"

It was clear that there was a backstory here that Blake was missing and things were getting awkward, fast. She decided to leave them to discuss whatever this 'Arslan situation' was, excusing herself to get another drink from the kitchen. Vodka soda sounded good. After two beers, she felt bloated and needed something lighter.

Yang was standing at the counter, mixing a mystery concoction in a cup. She opened a bottle of liquor and poured it in without measuring. Tasting it, she frowned, and dumped another kind of liquor into the mix. Blake wondered if she knew what she was doing or if she was just drunk.

"Enjoying the party?" The blonde asked, leaning against the kitchen counter beside her, slurping her strawberry cocktail. 

She seemed more sober than Blake had expected, given... whatever it was that she was drinking. 

She wore short denim shorts with a purple-plaid flannel that matched her mesmerizing lilac eyes; If she had been some random girl at a party, she definitely would have been tempted to flirt a little. She _was_ _still_ tempted to flirt a little, but she reminded herself that she could enjoy the view and that was all.

Blake nodded as she grabbed a plastic cup and poured in some vodka. She didn't want to get sloppy, so she went light on the liquor, heavy on the club soda, extra ice. 

"Yeah. I'm having a lot of fun, actually.”

She grinned and said, "I think your friend, Weiss, is too," nodding to the corner where Weiss was talking to some blue-haired guy.

Suddenly, a sugary-sweet female voice chimed in from behind them, "Yang, you didn't tell me you had a new friend." 

Blake turned and saw a gorgeous girl with short sandy-blonde hair and dark, glowing skin. She teetered on stilettos, her dark cutoffs showcasing her mile-long legs. All in all, she was pretty intimidating— and Blake wasn't easily intimidated.

"I'm Arslan," she said, blatantly sizing her up from head to toe. "Yang’s girlfriend. And you are?"

She was pretty sure the whole room stopped what they were doing to stare at them. It was like one of those scenes in a movie where the record screeches and everything went silent.

Yang scowled at her, cutting in, "She means _ex_ -girlfriend. And this is Blake, my roommate."

Anger flickered across her pretty face for a nanosecond. It was brief, but Blake saw it. Arslan _definitely_ did not like the idea of her living with Yang. Apparently.

She said, "Nice to meet you, Blake," but she could tell that she really meant 'fuck you'. 

She then batted her eyes and added with mock confusion, "Yang hasn't really talked about you much.”

Was that supposed to be some kind of dig? She knew that she would probably regret it, but she _really_ was _not_ in the mood to be shit-talked to. 

Yang opened her mouth to interject. Before she could, Blake smiled and answered innocently, "Funny, Yang never really mentioned _you_ either. Like _ever_."

Off to the side, she could see Jaune’s mouth drop wide open and Nora’s shoulders shaking with silent laughter. Yang’s mouth quirked at the corners, but she kept a straight face. 

She had a feeling that people talking back to Arslan wasn't something that happened often; she hoped she hadn't just made a mistake. Although, she found it hard to really care.

Arslan glowered at her for a moment before regaining her composure. Finally, she straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. 

"I'm going to find my friends. Yang, we should talk later. Alone," she snapped, marching away.

__

An hour later, Blake was upstairs in her bathroom, fiddling with the tweezers and eyelash glue-- _again_. She should never have let Weiss talk her into the eyelashes. They were a terrible idea. 

The left strip of eyelashes stubbornly refused to stay put. It kept drooping into her line of sight like a dead spider. 

Suddenly, she heard muffled voices arguing from Yang’s room next door. She knew it probably wasn't any of her business, but she wanted to know what was going on. Blake put her ear up against the wall to see if she could make out what they were saying.

"Yang... unacceptable... cannot _live_ here," one annoyed female voice said. 

Another female voice argued back, "Not your decision, Arslan... can't be friends... jealous. Seriously.”

Ugh. She hoped that she hadn't caused this fight. She didn't want to cause problems for Yang and she definitely didn't want her to be upset with her if she had.

On the one hand, Arslan kind of seemed like a crazy bitch, so maybe it wasn't entirely all her fault. On the other, her sarcastic retort probably hadn't helped things, either.

A door slammed, followed by angry footsteps clattering down the stairs. Blake paused, holding her breath and waiting for the second set of footsteps. It didn't come. Finally, she decided to slink outside and see if she could make it back downstairs unnoticed. 

Yang’s room was situated between her’s and the staircase. She was trying to ninja her way past when Yang opened the door to her room, catching her in the act. Blake froze. She looked surprised to see her standing there. 

"Blake. What are you doing?" she asked, frowning. 

_Apparently Weiss lied when she said I was a ninja in another life. she_ told herself.

"Just, um, freshening up," Blake said, scrambling for an explanation and landing on, "My contacts were bothering me."

_Why did I just lie to her? That was a really stupid lie, too; I don’t even wear contacts, and she was bound to find that out eventually. Maybe she wasn't big on details? Or maybe I could just pretend I'd had laser eye surgery at some later date. _

She furrowed her blonde brow. "Did you hear all of that?"

"Uh, no? Well, I mean, yes. Kind of," Blake admitted, cringing at the awkwardness. "I didn't mean to. I'm sorry."

"No, don't be. _I'm_ sorry, really. You shouldn't feel uncomfortable in your own home. She's just... insane sometimes. All of the time, actually. She wasn't supposed to be here tonight anyway. It won't happen again."

"Are you sure some of that wasn't my fault?" She asked. "You know, because of what I said earlier?”

Yang chuckled. "No, my problems with Arslan pre-date you significantly. Don't worry about it. And she started with you first-- I can't blame you for standing up for yourself. Actually, I’m a little glad you did.”

“Shall we go back downstairs then?”

“We shall.”


End file.
